Sorghum and corn gutter



(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. E. 00E.

SORGHUM AND CORN GUTTER.. No. 306,322. Patented Olot.. '7, 1884.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. E. GOB.

SORGHUM AND CORN GUTTER. No. 306,322. .Patented oct. 7, 1884.

WITNESSBS ATTORNEYS.

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3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

C. E. COE. soReHUM AND G'ORN GUTTER.

No. 306,322. Patented Oct. 7, 1884'.

INVBNTUR:

BY M f i;

ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES N. Parmis. Phnxor'bmegmpncn wnshmgxun. 11C.

irn dramas Partnr @tric e@ CHARLES E. COE, OF LEESBURG, KAN-SAS.

SORGHUlVl AND CORN CLJ'VI'ER.`

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,322, dated October7, 1884.-.

' Applicationled September-S, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom t 'nw/.y concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLns E. Con, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Leesburg, in the county ot' Stafford and State of Kansas,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sorghum and Corn Glitters,of

which the following is a specication.

j This invention relates to that class of sorghum-cutters which aredrawn across a lield to ent standing stalks o1 sorghum, corn, sugarcane,

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby standing stalksmay be cut and dropped in bunches. i

The invention consists in a shearing mechanism, means whereby the act ofadvancing the machine upon the ground will operate the shears to cut thestalks, means for laying the stalks as fast as they are eut to form abunch, means for holding said stalks until the bunch is large enough,and means for dropping the same at the will of the operator, ashereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig.2is a plan view, of my invention. Fig. 3 is adetail view. Fig. et isarear elevation of myinvcntion. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, partly insection, oi' the cutting-blades. y

A is the team-pole, which extends backward to serve as the main beamofthe frame.

Il is the opposite side beam` attached to bar A by means of cross-pieeesC, Dand E.

F is an arm rigidly secured at its rear cud to thc frame.

G is one blade ol" the shears, rigidly bolted to the frame. II is theother shear-blade, pivoted at its heel to the forward end of arm F, tooscillate in contact with its mate l. This oscillation is produced bythe revolution of the main wheel I as it advances along theground bymeans of a rock-shaft, J, journaled on the frame, having two arms, K andL, the arm K being connected to the rear end of blade II by a rod, N,and the arm L provided with a roller, M, whose weight causes it to fallinto the`path of the arms of wheel I. This i'alling of arm L, inconnection with the resistance of standing stalks to the advance of themachine, opens the shears, and the rising ot the arm bythe action ofeach succeeding j", springg, and hand Vl1..

spoke ot' the wheel closes the shears and cuts ot't the interposedstalks. slanting to the line of travel, to guide standing stalks intothe shears. The plane of the shears slants across the line of travel, toadapt them to cut the stalks to the greatest advantage.

O is a belt traveling around pulleys l? Q, to carry back the tops of thestalks by means of ngers It, fixed at one end in said belt. The belt iscarried by pulley P, which is fixed on the vertical shaft S, engaged bybeveled gears U to revolve continually with the shaft of the main wheelI.

T is a guide-rail supported on two springing uprights, V and WV, to packthe tops of the stalks together. Upright V is secured at its lower endupon the :forward end of arm F. Upright XV is secured to the traine, andis bent, forming one rib of a cradle to receive and support thebutt-ends of the stalks when tripped by it in being carried back by theiingered belt. The tops of the stalks are received as the;r fall fromthe belt on being tripped over cradle or upright IV by one o1" the armsX. These arms are secured to a shaft7 Y,which revolves in bearings inthe frame, and is provided' with two springs, Z, acting between one ofits bearings, a, and two collars, b, on it, to giveit longitudinaliiexibility. Arms X are kept from rotating under the weight ofaccumulat- -ing stalks by means of a wheel, e, having as many teeth asthere are arms X secured upon shaft Y, to be engaged by a detent, d,pivoted tothe frame at e, and provided with a foot-lever, Iressure ot'the ioot on lcverfholds hand h engaged with a tooth of the wheel.Removal of the i'oot allows spring qr/ to throw up lever f and diseugagehand 7a., leaving arms X i'ree to turn and drop their bunch of stalks.Hand 7L is pivoted to dctent el, an d is so shaped as to hold a toothoi' wheel c firmly; yet when the act of releasing the wheel takes placethe hand tips so as to gradually let go its hold on the tooth, toprevent strain and wear on the machine. This is necessary on account ofthe considerable weight of green stalks which the arms X have to hold,for il' a 1n ere notch and pawl, like a gun-tumbler and its trigger, andthe parts were made in the manner common to agricultural implements- Thebeam B is set IOO that is, cast ready lto go together without smoothingup-the edges of the pawl and tooth would both be soon worn so that theywould not hold, or the ltooth must be so deepthat the spring q could notliberate the pawl under a load. rIhe teeth of wheel c and the hand h areboth rounded to roll together when coming in contact, as shown in Fig.3, and to roll apart by the farther tipping down of hand h when it isbeing withdrawn. The shaft Y will be stopped from revolving when aportion of oneV of its teeth near the outy end rests on the hand h at apoint directly over the detent d, as shown in dotted lines d. Thisrolling together and apart of the pawl and teeth prevents shock andrubbing wear. The longitudinal exibility ot' shaft Y is to permit it toyield endwise and disengage wheel c, so that arms X may turn and escapein case one of them gets caught on stubble or other ob struction. Therail T is arranged at a proper height to support the out ends of theteeth in ease any stalk rides on them; but when the belt passes aroundits rear pulley the teeth will be Withdrawn from such support and benddown, permitting their load to fall into the cradle. The main weight ofthe frame is supported on the drive-wheel; but to keep it from tipping,it is provided with two caster-wheels, K, one at each of the rearcorners.

What I claim as my invention, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a sorghum-eutter, the combination, with the team-pole forming oneside of the frame, of the beam opposite, secured at an angle thereto bymeans of cross-bars longer at the rear than at the front, and an outsidearm secured at its rear end to said angular beam at or near its rearend, and forming an angle therewith opening forward, as shown anddescribed.

the opposite one of the two parts, near the 5o forward part of the anglebetween them, its rear end being free to oscillate, as shown anddescribed.

3. rlhe combination,with a drive-wheel provided with spokes, andshear-blades attached 5 5 to a frame carried by said wheel, of arockshaft journaled to said frame and provided with two arms, one ofwhichis connected with a movable blade of the shears, and the other isadapted to fall of its own weight upon the 6o spokes of the wheel, andbe raised by each of said spokes to operate the shears, as described.

4. The combination, with a belt provided with fingers adapted to rotatein a horizontal plane, ot' an opposite rail secured upon the 65 machine,adapted to support the ends of the said fingers sliding thereon, and toguide the tops of stalks thereby carried, as shown and described.

5. The combination,with a frame, means at- 7o tached thereto for cuttingstalks, and means for carrying the butt-ends of the stalks,.of a shaftjournaled longitudinally in and extending to the rear of said frame,curved arms secured to the rear end of said shaft, a wheel secured tothe same shaft, having teeth corresponding to the number of said curvedarms, a detent adapted to engage said toothed wheel, and a treadleoperating said detent, whereby the same may be held in engagement withthe toothed wheel by the drivers foot, or ber released to escape fromsuch engagexneut, as speciiied.

6. The combination,with the toothed wheel c, of detent d, having atreadle end, f, and 85 the hand 71 p'ivoted to said detent, adapted torock to different positions in the act of releasing said wheel, asdescribed.

7. The shaft Y, the arms X, and toothed wheel c thereon, and a detentadapted to engage wheel c, in combination with the collars b, thebearing a, and the spring Z, acting between said bearing and collars, asshown and described.

CHARLES E. COE. Witnesses:

WILLIAM: DIXON, HY. RoHN.

